Sample Materials for CSAT Paper -1 (G.S.) Pre 2013: "Environment and Ecology: Johannesburg Summit 2002"

Subject: Environment and Ecology
Topic: Johannesburg Summit 2002

What is Joannesburg Summit 2002?

Johannesburg Summit 2002 – the World Summit on Sustainable Development – brought together tens of thousands of participants, including heads of State and Government, national delegates and leaders from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), busi-nesses and other major groups to focus the world’s attention and direct action toward meeting difficult challenges, including improving people’s lives and conserving our natural resources in a world that is growing in population, with ever-increasing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic security.

Why Now?

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the international community adopted Agenda 21, an unprecedented global plan of action for sustainable development. But the best strategies are only as good as their implemen-tation. Ten years later, the Johannesburg Summit presents an exciting opportunity for today’s leaders to adopt concrete steps and identify quantifiable targets for better implementing Agenda 21.

When & Where Was it?

The Summit took place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August to 4 September 2002. The Summit was held in the Sandton Convention Centre, just outside Johannesburg. A non-governmental forum took place at the nearby NASREC Centre and numerous other parallel events also took place around Johannesburg at the same time.

Who Went?

Broad participation and inclusiveness are key to the success of sustainable development. All sectors of society have a role to play in building a future in which global resources are protected, and prosperity and health are within reach for all of the world’s citizens. Therefore, in addition to governments, there was active participation at the Summit by representatives from business and industry, children and youth, farmers, indigenous people, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, scientific and technological communities, women and workers and trade unions. These represent the Major Groups identified in Agenda 21.

Side Events

Side events are events that take place in the margins of official inter-governmental meetings, organised for the purpose of sharing experiences and increasing opportunities for dialogue among the official meeting’s participants. A number of side events coordinated by the UN was held during the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) meetings inside the Sandton Convention Centre throughout the Summit itself.

Parallel Events

Around the time of the Summit, a number of additional events - known as parallel events - took place in the Johannesburg area. These events were convened and managed by organisations or groups that are independent of the United Nations. The Johannesburg World Summit Company (JOWSCO) - a non-profit company that is wholly owned by the South African government and which managed logistical operations on behalf of the Summit’s host nation — coordinated logistics for these parallel events. Click here for more information on parallel events.

Who Organised the Summit?

The tenth session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (known as CSD10) acted as the Preparatory Committee for the Summit which was the central organising body. CSD10 had four preparatory meetings for the Summit during 2001-2002, known as PrepComs. These meetings were held as follows:

CSD10 sessions were steered by a Bureau which consisted of 2 representatives from each region of the world (10 members in total). The Bureau for CSD10 guided the process and raised political awareness and support for the Summit amongst member governments and major groups.

Secretary General’s Advisory Panel

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, convened a Panel of Eminent Persons to explore the challenges of sustainable development and make recommendations to him for meeting them through the Summit process. The Secretary-General asked Panel members to help raise political awareness of the Summit process, both generally and within their own individual spheres of influence and impact.

Logistics

Logistical organization of the Summit within South Africa was managed by the Johannesburg World Summit Company (JOWSCO), on behalf of the Government of South Africa.

Greening the Summit

Since the Summit was the biggest international gathering ever held in Africa, the “Greening the WSSD” Initiative was establi-shed to ensure that the Summit was organized along environmental “best practice” lines and that minimal waste was generated by the thousands of delegates that descended on Johannesburg.

Answer of Question 1: A